Question

A client in septic shock has a double lumen central venous catheter with one liter of 0.9% Normal Saline Solution infusing at 1 ml/hour through one lumen and TPN infusing at 50 ml/ hr. through one port. The nurse prepared newly prescribed IV antibiotic that should take 45 mints to infuse. What intervention should the nurse implement?

Answer 1

The nurse should use an available lumen to administer the IV antibiotic, ensuring compatibility with other infusions, flushing the line, and setting the infusion pump to deliver the medication over 45 minutes to prevent complications such as septic shock.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question you've asked pertains to the appropriate nursing intervention for administering an IV antibiotic to a client who is already receiving an infusion of 0.9% Normal Saline Solution through a double lumen central venous catheter, in addition to having TPN infusing through another port. The prescribed antibiotic needs to take 45 minutes to infuse.

The correct intervention in this scenario is for the nurse to use the available lumen that is not being used for the TPN infusion to administer the IV antibiotic. Before starting the antibiotic infusion, the nurse should ensure the line is compatible with the antibiotic and flush it with saline to ensure patency and prevent any interaction with previous medications or solutions. After confirming with pharmacy that no incompatibilities exist between the antibiotic and the current infusions or the TPN, the nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver the antibiotic over the prescribed 45-minute period.

For patient safety and to prevent septic shock complications, it is crucial that all IV medications are administered at the correct rate and volume as prescribed.